Letter: Solution: Responsible Drivers

I send my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the four people who have recently lost their lives on Route 4 and hope that this letter doesn’t come across as insensitive.

Accounts of the accidents made no mention of vehicular malfunction, which means that either Route 4 was the cause of these accidents, or these accidents were caused by driver inattention. I make another assumption: None of these accidents should have happened if the drivers had taken full responsibility for operating their vehicles.

You can turn Route 4 into another interstate and you will not stop people from killing themselves and others. This leads me to make this prayer: “Almighty government, perfect and strong in every way, thank you for taking care of me in every instance of my life, for I am totally unable to think or to care for myself. Your ability to take care of every phase of my life from cradle to grave has lifted a great burden from my shoulders, and you do this for just one vote. Personally, Route 4 has caused me too much trouble. I should be able to drive where I want, when I want. It should not be my responsibility to drive on the right side of the road. It is the other person’s responsibility to drive on their side. I am eternally grateful for your everlasting care and compassion, even if you never do anything for me.”

One suggestion: Restrict bicyclists, runners and other recreational users from using Route 4 and any other secondary road in Vermont and New Hampshire for their leisure-time activity. And post at intervals along these secondary routes the following warning: Are you prepared to die today? Pay attention to your driving. Stupidity will kill you.

Government cannot spend enough money to protect you from yourself. You really do have to take full responsibility to make sure you are alive when you get home. We all want you to return home safely every night, but in the end that is up to you, not our government.

White River Junction — In response to three collisions on Route 4 that have claimed four lives since March, Gov. Peter Shumlin yesterday announced a series of safety measures for the state highway, including an immediate repaving and installation of rumble stripes and long-term plans to rebuild the road and perhaps redesign stretches away from the Ottauquechee River. The announcement, …

Woodstock — A pair of fire chiefs have proposed installing centerline rumble strips on sections of Route 4 after three people were killed in head-on collisions on the busy thoroughfare in recent months. Woodstock Fire Chief L.D. Sutherland said he and Hartford Fire Chief Stephen Locke think that rumble strips could prevent drivers from drifting into oncoming traffic on two-lane …